Kalamazoo wants radical ideas to improve community with $10M

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Spending $10 million is not as simple as you might think.

At least that's what Mayor Bobby Hopewell said at the end of a Monday work session focused on a new master plan, creating neighborhood outreach and shared prosperity, and how years of work from various ongoing processes will help the Kalamazoo City Commission pick projects to be funded through a yet-to-be created non-profit foundation during the next three years.

It's a lot.

Commissioner David Anderson said the efforts of Imagine Kalamazoo 2025, which kicked off more than a year ago to create a strategic vision and master plan for the city, are "astounding and exhausting" at the same time.

"It makes you want to take a walk around the building," Anderson said after listening to a presentation from Community Planning and Development Director Rebekah Kik.

Though commissioners and dozens of residents might have felt the same way after nearly three hours of discussion, there was also a noticeable optimism that permeated presentations Monday night.

The Imagine Kalamazoo process is nearing its end. After soliciting input from 3,155 residents electronically, in small group settings, and face-to-face, this week will give residents a look at designs created from comments gathered since January 2016.

Kik says last master plan was written in 2010 during a period of economic downturn, on the heels of the Great Recession. Goals weren't radically bold then, she said, and only 400 residents were engaged through the process.

Kalamazoo stepped up its game in reaching out to residents this time around. The result of its effort will serve as a guiding document for all other goals, policies and procedures created by the city for the next eight years.

"What are the values of the community? That is the lens thorough which this plan should be written," Kik said. "Empowering people to use their voice is an awesome lesson learned for the city."

Urban designers, city staff, and organizations from throughout Kalamazoo will be on hand to answer questions, accept feedback and discuss projects from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Rose Street Market building.

Wednesday, maps and other visual representations of design concepts will be shown off during a community open house from 4 to 6 p.m, after which Hopewell will give a formal presentation on the downtown's future.

A final vote on the Imagine Kalamazoo Master Plan and Strategic Vision is expected sometime in June. The Planning Commission will review the plan on June 1, followed by the City Commission on June 19.

So, what does this have to do with a $70.3 million investment donated to the city of Kalamazoo?

Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 lies at the center of the "Disk of Destiny," an affectionate name given by city staff to a fairly complicated organizational chart. The chart shows that the master plan process will inform the City Commission as it select projects funded through the "Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence."

Imagine Kalamazoo will help identify goals, programs and projects that address the wants and needs of residents. Projects are then scored based on how well it achieves the commission's stated goals to improve the city.

Projects which serve a large portion of the community, leverage community partnerships and can be implemented fairly quickly are more likely to receive funding.

Each group of residents had different priorities for the future of their city. However, Kik said some common values emerged through the process, including: connectivity, acceptability, opportunity, equity, vibrancy and friendliness.

Kik was recently promoted from city planner to replace previous director Laura Lam, who was hired to fill an assistant city manager position specifically focused on implementing the process of choosing projects designed to improve the city.

Lam said 55 projects were identified as worthy of receiving $30 million during the next three years. A few were discussed in brief Monday, but Lam recommended expanding existing city programs that achieve high community impact in 2017.

Some things Lam said the city would be ready to roll out fairly quickly include: Replacing more lead water service lines, creating free public Wi-Fi connections and enhancing bike routes and adding racks for bicycles in more locations throughout the city.

Neighborhood projects like sidewalks, street tree planing and trimming roadside plants could make streets more walkable. Community gardens, park enhancements and art spaces are examples of resident-led projects in neighborhoods.

The foundation could support improvements to Bronson Park and the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail or convert streets like Lovell and South to allow two-way traffic.

Next year, the city would explore opportunities with existing partners, then seek new partners in 2018.

"All of this work starts with ending poverty," Sykes said. "We can spend a lot of money on making great improvements to our city then address poverty, but the problem is we (would be) displacing folks. I feel like I'm looking at a lot of spent money and I'm looking at what is left for our desire to address generational poverty."

Last week, the City Commissioners voted to make three summer youth programs the first to receive funding from the $10 million earmarked for 2017. Hopewell said at the time that one of the city's highest priorities has been on shared prosperity, specifically among children.

Cooney said a strategic plan for Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo, which is being worked on, will guide exactly how the city plans to end poverty. Until then, he is hesitant to fund some of the projects brought up Monday.

Lam said it will take time to develop plans for shared prosperity. The city is exploring how to support small businesses, create more affordable housing and create economic opportunity.

Commissioner Erin Knott said "feel good" projects like community gardens need to come after reducing blight, resolving code enforcement issues, and improving quality of life issues. It's time for "radical thinking," she said.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Jack Urban says the commission should keep in mind that residents should broadly feel that the foundation is helping them. Kalamazoo has to compete with other modern cities, he said and beyond poverty, things like rebuilding the tax base and attracting new residents are important.

Anderson said the process has been confusing in pulling together lots of different plans and strategies. However his eagerness is cooled in recognizing that things are being done, albeit at many different paces.

At the end of the meeting, several residents from the Vine Neighborhood advocated for a skate park in Davis Park. Hopewell said their comments, along with other conversations with residents throughout the city shows how each neighborhood will be vying for a piece of the foundation pie.

"I want you to stay passionate and let us know what you want us to see," Hopewell said. "There are 74,000 of you. Through this process you have to remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint."